"I've already confirmed it. He's very strong. One of his abilities is a spatial ability similar to the Door-Door Fruit, which lets him suddenly appear inside a meeting hall with all its doors and windows shut. He can also control flames that can burn my Seastone weapon and even threaten a Logia Devil Fruit user's elemental transformation. If he'd attacked me, I'd be dead!"
Smoker held a Den Den Mushi as he reported to Marine Headquarters, relaying all the information he had gathered for them to compile.
"It's not a Devil Fruit. Are you idiots? I already told you his flames can destroy my Seastone weapon. According to him, it's magic. Rather than asking me, why not have the World Government's intelligence agencies investigate? Send someone else to handle this. I'm a Marine captain, not a negotiator!"
With that, Smoker hung up the Den Den Mushi in irritation. Those people at headquarters made him, a branch captain, handle everything. Luckily, he hadn't brought Tashigi today, or he would have embarrassed himself as her captain.
The other man had subdued him without even moving from his seat. If word of that got out, what would all that talk of a rising Marine star amount to? Nothing but hype.
"Captain Smoker..."
Tashigi asked timidly from beside him. She kept feeling that Captain Smoker was unusually angry today. In the past, he could still exchange a few civil words with headquarters, but lately, he started arguing at the slightest disagreement.
Smoker turned and shouted, "Tashigi!"
"Yes, Captain Smoker."
"Notify all the soldiers to assemble for training. From now on, their training load is doubled. If everyone's this weak, how can we protect civilians from pirates?"
Tashigi opened her mouth in surprise. "Doubled? Captain, isn't that a little..."
"I'm tripling mine!"
"Yes, understood. I'll